The Nightmare Lord
by vertigoSWAY
Summary: Post-508, Pre-509. There was a Time Lord and a Dream Lord. Why not a Nightmare Lord? "He disappeared into the night. Into the dark. The lonely angel."


**Post-Amy's Choice. Pre-The Hungry Earth**

**

* * *

**

The Doctor had set them in orbit around the Earth and told them to get some rest. Amy was mentally exhausted from the strain of the Dream Lord and that psychic pollen. Amy complained about the lack of bedspreads in her room so the Doctor directed Rory to the massive wardrobe where there should have been a stack of duvets stored somewhere. Rory lugged a light cream colored one back to their room and bid Amy goodnight as he realized he'd left his vest in the wardrobe.

As he made his way back to the room again, he got lost as he took the wrong turn. No matter where he retraced his steps to or where he turned, he just ended up walking around in circles. After finally having enough, he took refuge in the library where he noted the faint smell of chlorine. Was that a _swimming pool_? God, Amy hadn't been joking when she said there was a swimming pool in the library. How weirder could the TARDIS get?

It was now when Rory Williams realized how exactly massive of a place the library really was, even excluding the Olympic pool. Shelves stretched for meters and meters, but there was a particular book that caught Rory's eye. Where he'd entered the library, there was a small sitting area. Three chairs and a table in the middle. On the table was a book with the most magnificent cover. Golden, orange, red. The hues just pulling the nurse closer and closer. Like it was trying to share its majesty. Upon further inspection, Rory realized that there wasn't a title. He flipped through the pages.

"Well that's rubbish," he said. "It's just blank."

The flipped the book around and thumbed through it again, this time catching the manuscript style writing. He sat down and began to read. For a book with no title, it was rather interesting. The story was complicated yet intriguing. It was about someone named Theta Sigma, which was the eighth and eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. If Rory remembered correctly from the theology class he once had to take in uni, theta was also Christian shorthand for God –not that it really mattered. The book started to refer to Theta Sigma as "Thete," a nicknamed donned by other characters. Rory read about the Deca, a group of rebels in the school the story was set in. A group of which this Thete was involved in, along with a Koschei, Ushas and others. It was a tale of tragedy, adventure, happiness, war and betrayal. It must have been late into the night when Rory almost finished the book. There were a final twenty pages left when he paused to give his eyes a rest. He hadn't realized how heavy they were until now.

In his mind, he reviewed a story. The man had left his home. To put it more accurately, he'd run away. Ran everywhere, made friends along the way. But he'd always lose them. There was one point when Thete had fell in love but he had to leave her behind for the sake of her own well-being. In the middle, strange, fantastical adventures would take place. The companionship always ended in a frenzy of sad goodbyes and reluctant acceptance of both parties.

"Ahem…"

Rory looked up to see the Doctor leaning at the doorway.

"I see you've found the swimming pool, and the library."

"Uh yeah," Rory stuttered out. He held up the book. "Interesting book."

"Who are you?" the Doctor questioned. The Time Lord had a peculiar look on his face. It was suspicion and curiosity.

"Who are you?" Rory countered.

"I asked you first," the alien pointed out. "I'm a 907 Time Lord from Gallifrey, the lost planet of the Time War, the greatest planet in all of space and time. Sole survivor of the Time War, the Oncoming Storm. The one who sent the Daleks and Time Lords into hell –and the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could've King with his Army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres. The one who keeps running because he dare not look back out of shame. I'm a nightmare. Now who are you?"

"I'm Rory Williams…" the nurse tried. "I'm a nurse, from Leadworth. Engaged… to Amy Pond and-"

"No no no," interrupted the Doctor. He was shaking his head. "_Who_ are you? Why did I let you tag along? Why can you read that book?"

"Well I suppose it's because of Am-… Hold it. How can I read this book?"

"That book," the Doctor pointed as he approached Rory, "is a realistic fiction work detailing the events of one man in particular. You cannot possibly he able to read it."

"How come?" Rory asked.

"It's only able to be read by someone who wants to read it. And in order to want to read it, you have to have prior knowledge of the book. To know the content, the summary, the synopsis. To know that there was the existence of that book prior to picking it up or seeing it. So I ask again: who are you?"

"It just wanted me to read it."

"Really now?" The Doctor snatched the book from Rory's hands and inspected it. He flipped through the pages and shook the pages down. Finally, he snapped it shut.

"It was a good book," Rory suggested.

"Was it?"

Rory shrugged. "I thought so."

"So if it was such a good story," the Doctor started, "then would you want to live it?" Rory didn't reply. "Yes. Thought so. Now, go get some rest. All of space and time tomorrow. Sleep up."

As Rory displaced himself from the chair he asked, "Did you know him? Theta Sigma? That man you said the book was based on? And whoever was Koschei? Romana?"

The Doctor had a lost look in his eyes, just like when he'd been eyeing the Dream Lord with hidden malice and regret. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something but he seemed to change his mind when he said, "Inside out." Pointing to the doorway he added, "Sleep."

"Yeah," Rory agreed.

And so it was, Theta Sigma. 8, 18. Such a resemblance to the Doctor. The lonely angel. The lonely god. A relic on a shelf. Truth be told –and in relation to recent events- Theta Sigma was a nightmare. Life in all. Like… like the lord of nightmares. Well, they had a Time Lord already. There was the Dream Lord they'd just encountered. Why not a Nightmare Lord for the fun of it?

Meanwhile, the Doctor watched as Rory left. He flipped to the last pages of the book. All blank, waiting for time to happen and the history to be fulfilled. He flipped to near the end of the last pages. "And so there he had been, all happy and full of life with his former companions. They were laughing, talking –a universal bundle of ecstacy. Now Thete stood, out in the rain, looking at the long figure in the doorway. An old man, younger than him, but maybe wiser and possibly more perceptive.

"The old man said to him, 'What about you now? Who have you got? I mean, all those friends of yours.'

"Thete smiled back sadly. 'They've all got someone else. Still that's fine,' he lied, 'I'm fine.'

"'I'll watch out for you, son.'

"Thete looked on with fierce command in his eyes. 'You can't ever tell her!' he insisted.

"The old man shook his head in agreement. 'No, no. But every night, when it gets dark and the stars come out? I'll look up on her behalf. I'll look up at the sky… and think of you.'

"Thete gave his parting smile and a wave. 'Thank you.' Then he disappeared into the night. Into the dark.

"The lonely angel.

"The Nightmare Lord."

* * *

**There are references to classic characters. "Koschei" is the Master. "Ushas" is the Rani, another enemy of the Doctor. She stuck around the Master for a while. Romana was a Time Lady that accompanied the Doctor for a while. "Theta Sigma aka Thete" was another name for the Doctor. "The Deca" was an actual clique in the Academy back in Gallifrey.**


End file.
